16.53
pragraahakaM yat tu nimittam uktam
uddhanyamaane hRdi tan na sevyaM
evaM hi cittaM prashamaM na yaati
[- - -]naa vahnir iv' eryamaaNaH
- = - = = - - = - = -
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = -
* * * = = - - = - = =
16.53
A "garnering" stimulus
Does not serve when the emotions are excited,
For thus the mind does not find peace
Like a fire being fanned by [the wind].
16.54
shamaaya yat syaan niyataM nimittaM
jaat'-odbhave cetasi tasya kaalaH
evaM hi cittam prashamaM niyacchet
pradiipyamaano 'gnir iv' odakena
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = -
16.54
A stimulus one has ascertained to be calming
Has its time when one's mind is excited;
For thus the mind subsides into quietness,
Like a blazing fire doused with water.
16.55
sham'-aavahaM yan niyataM nimittaM
sevyaM na tac cetasi liiyamaane
evaM hi bhuuyo layam eti cittam
an-iiryamaaNo 'gnir iv' aalpa-saaraH
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = -
- = - = = - - = - = =
16.55
The stimulus ascertained to bring calm
Does not serve when one's mind is dormant;
For thus the mind sinks further into lifelessness,
Like a feeble fire left unfanned.
16.56
pragraahakaM yan niyataM nimittaM
layaM gate cetasi tasya kaalaH
kriyaa-samarthaM hi manas tathaa syaan
mandaayamaano 'gnir iv' endhanena
- = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = -
16.56
A stimulus ascertained to be garnering,
Has its time when one's mind is lifeless,
For thus the mind becomes fit for work,
Like a feebly-burning fire plied with fuel.
16.57
aupekShikaM n'aapi nimittam iShTaM
layaM gate cetasi s'odbhave vaa
evaM hi tiivraM janayed anarthaM
upekShito vyaadhir iv' aaturasya
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = -
16.57
Nor is leaving oneself alone a valid starting point
When one's mind is either lifeless or excited.
For that might result in severe misfortune,
Like the neglected illness of a sick man.
16.58
yat syaad upekShaa niyataM nimittaM
saamyaM gate cetasi tasya kaalaH
evaM hi kRtyaaya bhavet prayogo
ratho vidhey'-aashva iva prayaataH
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - - - = =
16.58
What one has ascertained to be
a starting point of not interfering,
Has its time when one's mind is in its normal state;
For thus one can set about the work to be done,
Like a wagon setting off with well-trained horses.
16.59
raag'-oddhava vyaakulite 'pi citte
maitr'-opasaMhaara-vidhir na kaaryaH
raag-aatmako muhyati maitrayaa hi
snehaM kapha-kShobha iv' opayujya
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = -
16.59
Again, when the mind is muddled by lust,
Direction of love towards oneself
is not to be practised;
For a passionate type is stupefied by love,
Like a sufferer from phlegm taking oil.
16.60
raag'oddhate cetasi dhairyam etya
niShevitavyam tv a-shubham nimittaM
raag'-aatmako hy evam upaiti sharma
kaph'-aatmako ruukSham iv' opayujya
= = - = = - - = - = -
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = -
- = - = = - - = - = -
16.60
Steadiness lies, when one's mind is stirred up by lust,
In coming back to a disagreeable stimulus;
For thus a passionate type obtains relief,
Like a phlegmatic type taking an astringent.
16.61
vyaapaada-doSheNa manasy udiirNe
na sevitavyaM tv a-shubhaM nimittaM
dvesh'-aatmakasya hy a-shubhaa vadhaaya
pitt-aatmanas tiikShNa iv' opacaaraH
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = -
= = - = = - - = - = =
16.61
When a mind is wound up, however,
with the fault of ill-will,
A disagreeable stimulus is not to be dwelt upon;
For unpleasantness is destructive to a hating type,
As acid treatment is to a man of bilious nature.
16.62
vyaapaada-doSha kShubhite tu citte
sevyaa sva-pakSh'-opanayena maitrii
dvesh'-aatmano hi prashamaaya maitrii
pitt'-aatmanaH shiita iv' opacaaraH
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
16.62
When the mind is agitated by the fault of ill-will,
Love should be practised, through self-acceptance;
For love is calming to a hate-afflicted soul,
As cooling treatment is to a man of bilious nature.
16.63
moh-aanubaddhe manasaH pracaare
maitr-aashubhaa c'aiva bhavaty ayogaH
taabhyaaM hi saMmoham upaiti bhuuyo
vaayv-aatmako ruukSham iv' opaniiya
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = -
16.63
Where there is wandering of the mind, tied to delusion,
Both love and unpleasantness are unsuitable,
For a deluded man is further deluded by these two,
Like a windy type given an astringent.
16.64
moh'-aatmikaayaaM manasaH pravRttau
sevyas tv idaM-pratyayataa-vihaaraH
muuDhe manasy eSha hi shaanti-maargo
vaayv-aatmake snigdha iv' opacaaraH
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
16.64
When working of the mind is deluded in nature,
One should appreciate the causality herein;
For here in the midst of mental delusion
lies a path to peace,
Like treating a wind condition with oil.
16.65
ulkaa-mukha-sthaM hi yathaa suvarNaM
suvarNa-kaaro dhamat' iiha kaale
kaale pariprokShayate jalena
krameNa kaale samupekShate ca
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = -
16.65
Holding gold in the mouth of a furnace,
A goldsmith in this world blows it at the proper time,
Douses it with water at the proper time,
And gradually, at the proper time, he leaves it be.
16.66
dahet suvarNaM hi dhamann akaale
jale kShipan saMshamayed akaale
na c'aapi samyak paripaakam enaM
nayed akaale samupekShamaaNaH
- = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
- = - = = - - = - = =
16.66
For he might burn the gold
by blowing at the wrong time,
He might make it unworkable
by plunging it into water at the wrong time,
And he would not bring it to full perfection
If at the wrong time he were just to leave it be.
16.67
sampragrahasya prashamasya c'aiva
tath"aiva kaale samupekShaNasya
samyaN nimittaM manasaa tv avekShyaM
naasho hi yatno 'py an-upaaya-puurvaH
= = - = - - - = - = -
- = - = = - - = - = -
= = - = = - - = - = =
= = - = = - - = - = =
16.67
Likewise, for garnering as also for calming,
As also when appropriate for leaving well alone,
In one's mind one should monitor the proper stimulus;
Because even diligence is destructive
when accompanied by a wrong approach."
COMMENT:
When a practitioner of sitting-dhyana is working on the self, like when a goldsmith is working gold, practice precedes theory.
A translator of the Buddha's teaching, like a Jewish lawyer, is prone to be a wordsmith. Of course many Jews have been excellent goldsmiths, but they are not the ones that bother me. The tendency that bothers me in the other is a tendency I perceive in the other to espouse in words a view, a personal "take on practice," when it is obvious to anybody that the espouser of the view on practice has still got plenty of work to do on cleansing his own mind of faults, like anger.
When a practitioner of sitting-dhyana is working on the self, like when a goldsmith is working gold, the practitioner must find what actually works for him or her, not in theory but in practice.
Where does one start? One true starting point, in the Buddha's teaching, has never been set in stone. The true method of sitting-dhyana, it seems to me, is set out in Canto 15 in terms of sitting in lotus as engagement with the fundamental and as giving up ideas. Then again the true method is set out in Canto 16 in terms of a bespoke approach to letting go of faults. And then again the true method is set out in Canto 17 in the methodical description of Nanda's progress through four dhyaana , or stages of sitting-meditation. So how many true methods are there?
If you review the history of this blog, you will see how, like a house-burglar in search of jewels & money, I began by rifling through Saundarananda and Buddhacarita looking for the nailed-down definition of how to sit. That is how my mind has always tended to work -- begin by identifying the primary target and then go straight for it. Later on, survey the damage. If I see the primary thing as understanding something, like a fault in myself, and I think that prodding the other with a stick and using him as a mirror might help me to understand it, I am ever liable to do just that. It is not enlightened behaviour, but it is how my mind tends to work. On some level I feel that such selfish behaviour is justified because I am so special, because I am such an important person, with a great historical mission. In sitting as the giving up ideas, this might be idea number one to give up!
In the beginning was the word, and the word was what? The word was the Rule of Sitting-Zen?
No. In the beginning there is practice, and how to practice cannot be nailed down in words -- because the practice is so multi-dimensional.
What the Buddha is instructing Nanda in here is practical work on the self, and a starting point of that practice is called in this series of verses nimitta. Nimitta literally means a target or a cause. I have translated nimitta here as "stimulus" and as "starting point." But if "subject of meditation" works for you....
No comments:
Post a Comment